


A Bridges Rail

by Hbrook



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Bridge - Freeform, Comfort, Cuphead - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, King Dice - Freeform, Other, Reader is gender neutral, Suicidal Reader, reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 13:23:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13718592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hbrook/pseuds/Hbrook
Summary: There you sat on the railing. The water was so far down, yet it could never be close enough. You were just about to jump when a voice spoke from behind you.





	A Bridges Rail

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my first Cuphead fic! I really needed to write this, but I hope that you guys enjoy it too.

The crisp night air nipped at your skin as it gently blew through your hair. You rubbed your arms, half wishing you had worn something warmer than a short sleeve T-shirt and shorts, but it would’ve been pointless. You‘d be dead soon. You looked down into the water below you, your feet dangling over the railings along with might as well of been your will to live. You couldn’t tell how many feet you were up from the water, but it was really far…

 

Hot tears flooded out of your eyes and you let out a heavy sigh. Your heart tugged weakly, yet somewhat aggressively inside your chest; you could hardly bare it. Everything hurt. You just wanted it to stop. You focused on the water. Little, black waves formed up and rolled over effortlessly, and you halfheartedly wondered if anyone would miss you when you were gone… Would they even notice your absence… ?

 

You weren’t sure how to slide off. Each move seemed too soon, but when you didn’t jump, it felt too late. After long moments spent torn between the limbo of jumping and holding on, you decided you’d jump at the count of three.

 

One.

 

You took a deep breath. The delicate salt in the air did nothing to calm your nerves.

 

Two.

 

That breath left you as a sob, and more acid like tears streamed down your face. They burned your skin.

 

Three-

 

“It’s a beautiful night out tonight… Makes me wonder what someone like yourself is doing out here, all alone.”

 

You gasped at the unexpected voice, gripping the rails, strangely enough, to keep yourself from falling. You jerked your head towards the voice to see a tall, suited silhouette leaning against the very rails you were about to jump off of. Your heart was racing, and you couldn’t help the blush that involuntarily crept onto your face from getting caught. You examined him; he set his gaze firmly on the water. You looked away and focused on the stars.

 

“I like being alone,” you mumbled.

 

He hummed in what seemed to be understanding, and you gave him a puzzled look. He didn’t look at you, neither did he really acknowledge your gaze, so you continued to watch him. His relaxed posture shifted slightly against the railing before he looked up at you.

  
  


“What are you doing here?” You blurted, almost immediately regretting the words right after they fell out of your mouth. You wanted to take them back, almost spilling out an apology, but you stopped dead in your tracks when he chuckled, and gave you a charming smile.

 

“I could ask you the same thing.”

  
  


Your face heated in embarrassment, and you looked away, trying to focus back on the water. You considered jumping whether or not this man was watching.

  
  


“Could I convince you to climb down from there?” He asked gently.

  
  


You looked back at him; your eyes locked.  You couldn’t break your gaze, especially as he leaned off, and took a step away from the railing, gently offering you a hand.

  
  


“It would be a shame,” he said carefully, his words washing over you like warm water, “If you were to fall in.”

 

CHOICE    
JUMP?   
DONT JUMP?

IF YOU JUMPED:

You drowned. The End. 

IF YOU DIDN”T:

  
  


You looked between him and his hand, biting your lip. You felt all the guts you gathered to jump melt away, and you weren‘t sure if it was the fear you had at actually jumping, or the fact that someone was watching you now, but you grabbed his hand and let him gingerly lead you off of the railing.

  
  
  


Your feet touched the ground, but it was unsteady, like it would be ripped away. You held your breath in anticipation because you knew this was the part where he left. He probably noticed that you were sitting at the edge of the railing, about to jump off, and decided to soothe you down. Now, he didn’t care anymore. Just like everyone else, he would assume that you were fine, and walk away, feeling proud, satisfied even, at the generously heroic deed he performed.

  
  


And just like that, he would leave you there. Just as big as a stranger as he was when you met. You’d be broken. You’d be alone. You’d be right back on top of that rail. And him?

  
  


He would be happy. He would be fine. He’d be on his merry little way.

  
  


No one ever understood. It hurt so much, and You couldn’t “tough it out” virtually alone anymore. You couldn’t… You crossed your arms and huffed. You were crumbling, and you didn’t know how much longer you had until you shattered. It would be best he left before you did.

 

“I’m sure you have somewhere to be,” you asserted, your voice wavering from the strain of trying not to cry. You didn’t bother to look up. You focused on your feet instead.

 

You heard him clear his throat, and looked up, meeting his gaze.

 

“Who said I had anywhere to be?” It was almost a retort, yet it was soft. “I wouldn’t mind staying here a bit longer.”

 

You raised your eyebrows at him, trying to mimic an “oh, really?” expression, but if his own raised eyebrow meant anything, it was that the effort only matched your surprised emotions instead. 

 

“That is,” He added, “If you don’t mind.”

 

Your breath was caught in your throat. You didn’t know how to answer. You turned back to the ocean, not responding at first. He coughed lightly to try to get your attention again, but he didn’t need to. You could feel his eyes on you. 

 

“Sure,” you muttered flatly, “who am I to stop you.”

  
  


There was a short pause, “A person, I suppose.”

 

Those words hit you with an unexpected impact, and you made strange scoffing noise. Not in a million years would you have expected a response like that… That was… Different from how people usually talked. That was different form how people usually thought.

 

It felt human. It felt empathetic.

 

You glanced back at him, and your eyes met, clashing with a strange sensation. He seemed to be reading you, but made no comment. You forced yourself to look at the water.

 

“Actually,” he said calmly, “It was only four months ago when I found myself in the same, exact position as you.”

 

A chill ran through your spine. You watched him through the corner of your eye as you spoke, your words coming out in a rush, “Same position as me…? What are you talking about?”

 

You were looking at him all the way now, and he did the exact opposite. He was looking back out over the bridge, his face set with a careless focus as he leaned forward onto the rails again.

 

“Four months ago, I came to this bridge, sat on these rails, and almost jumped.”

 

You stared at him,  more surprise toppling over the other restless emotions from before. His charming smiles and eyes that felt not in any way empty, or tired, or in pain made it hard to believe, but now that you looked at him in his current state, you could see the tiredness in his lips and the weariness in his eyes. He sighed as he picked a coin out of his pocket, tossing it over the bridge.

 

“Oh,” was the only thing you felt you could say, before asking the question sitting on the end of your tongue, “Why did you…?”

 

His eyes followed the soft rolls of the little ocean waves, and you felt a twist of anxiety clamp onto you. You knew you should have stopped those words before they tumbled out of your mouth. They were personal. Way too personal.

 

“Everything hurt...” You continued to watch him, unsure of what to say. You hadn‘t thought he’d respond. “No one got it. Ever. They accused me of being ungrateful when I showed how I felt; lazy and useless because of how I was… and… After several years… I just… Didn’t think I could deal with it anymore… I thought.... I thought jumping off here would be the best way to make it all stop.”

 

You knew he wasn’t saying as much as he meant. You knew he had so much still lingering on the corner of his mouth, locked behind his teeth. You could hear it in his voice and see it in the weak smile that tugged at his lips when he looked at you again. He knew how you felt. You wanted him to keep talking. You wanted to hear him say those words. Those words that said it wasn’t just you, that It’s okay. Someone knows. You don’t have to hold it alone anymore like it’s some dirty little secret.

 

“Why didn’t you?”

 

“What?”

 

“Why didn’t you do it?” You repeated.

 

“Oh…” He looked thoughtfully into the ocean. “… I always hated losing.”

 

You blinked confusedly, “You… hated losing?”

 

“Yes,” he said, his eyes still fixed on the black sea. “Before I jumped… I realized something… I realized… that if I took that jump… I lost. Not just my life, but… I also lost against anyone whoever treated me wrong. I lost against the ones who said I’d never make it, the ones who said I was weak for feeling this way, the ones who pushed me to the point of running to this bridge in the first place. All of ‘em. I would’ve lost against every single one.” There was a short pause, “I’ve always been a gambling man; even when I was just a kid. If I jumped off this bridge, I might as well have dropped my cards. Living in attempts to get better, and maybe even find contemptness, or happiness had a larger chance of winning than dying. So,... I took a gamble. I would try to live. I would tackle life with a new strategy.”

  
  


“You make it sound so easy… So simple…” You shifted on your feet, glancing at the moon’s reflection glimmering in the water’s surface. “Like an anti-suicide video they’d show in school or something…”

 

He chuckled lightly. “Anyone can make anything sound simple and easy, darling. It’s not. I know. every day is still a fight for survival. I assure you, it hasn’t been easy.”

 

“But,” you spat, “I thought you said you were going to tackle life with a new strategy.”

 

“I did,” He agreed, “But I never admitted to finding the right one.”

 

You continued watching him, wondering if he was thinking about jumping into the water right now.

 

“Has it, um... Has it gotten any better?” You asked quietly, almost feeling as if you knew the answer. He already seemed so tired…

 

“Yes.”

 

The answer almost made you flinch, and you looked at him disbelievingly.

 

“I’ve learned… quite a few things since then. I’m not quite where I wish I was, but I think I’ll be able to get there… eventually…”

 

You looked back into the ocean, almost unable to believe you were even having this conversation… with anyone. You let out a sigh, running a hand through your already messy hair and said, “This is the part,” you could feel him looking at you, “where you tell me not to do it, right? This is the part where you tell me that everything be okay. That it’ll all be worth it?

He hesitated, and a brief, thick stillness formed over the two of you

 

“No,” he said tiredly, “No, I wouldn’t lie to you like that... I told you. It’s a gamble, and whether or not you take it, that’s up to you. I can’t stop you; I can’t make you, either. The thing about taking gambles is, it may or may not work out; but, chances are, if you learn the tricks to the game, you can learn to win it.” There was a short pause. “Either way, I can’t promise you anything. I can’t force you into anything… It’s not my decision to make…”

 

You couldn’t help the fuzzy feeling, or the blush that crawled back up onto your face. You weren’t used to people treating you like you were in control of your life. You weren’t used to people respecting your choices and feelings. You weren’t used to any of this. You just weren’t, and the feeling excited you. You weren’t sure if you wanted to laugh or cry, so you stayed quiet.

 

He looked back at you. You smiled, and surprisingly, he smiled back, genuinely.

 

“Thank you…”

 

He raised an eyebrow, “For what?”

 

Even though he asked, the look on his face told you he already knew, “… Talking to me… Sharing your story.” You took an easy step back away from the rails. “I feel…” You hesitated at the word... You didn’t want to use ‘better’, and have him think you were magically cured, but seeing him like he was tonight… reassured you. He’d understand what you meant. “Better.”

 

He didn’t respond at first, only looking at you in silence. His expression was somewhat unreadable, and you wondered if it confused him, if he didn‘t actually understand your use of words. Your newfound hope seeped out of your chest, and your shoulders deflated... He really would be another person you would have to tiptoe around. You should have used a better word. Reassured, comforted, manageable, stabilized- whatever, but it was too late. You waited for the word- the phrase you heard from time and time again when you felt the least bit better.

 

‘Are you faking it? If it‘s really that bad, you wouldn‘t be able to say that.’

Because somehow to someone, ‘I’m feeling better.’ means ‘Everything is okay now.’.

 

But then a soft smile played at his lips, and you felt yourself relax.

 

“I’m glad…” Something in him seemed to lull. “I’m really glad.”

 

You could have cried in relief. He didn’t say it, and as far as you could tell, that hadn’t been what he was thinking. He stood up straight, and stretched, forcing several joints to crack.

 

“Mm… I’m gettin’ old.”

 

“What?” You asked. “The ripe, old age of twenty-six?”

 

He chucked, popping another joint before settling in a non-stretching position. “The ripe, old age of twenty, actually.”

 

You smiled and rubbed your arms again. The cold was really starting to bother you. “What’s your name?”

 

“Kingsley Dice… but you can just call me Dice.”

 

“Well, it was really nice to meet you tonight, Dice.

 

“And it was really nice to meet you too,…?”

 

“(Y/N)”

 

“(Y/N).” He tested the name on his tongue. “It was really nice to meet you too, (Y/N).” He paused. “You’re going home?”

 

“Yeah.” A freezing gust of wind blew right through you, and you shivered. “I’m getting cold.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
